Dr. Fathi Karouia, USF Darwin Day 2025

"From Earth to Space: Evolutionary Adaptation to Extreme Environments"
Dr. Fathi has been working on several areas of research, planetary protection, astrobiology, space biology to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with space adaptation to sustain human spaceflight and space explorations.
Understanding the evolutionary processes that enable life to adapt and thrive in extreme environments is critical to advancing our knowledge of astrobiology, planetary protection, and space biology. The unique conditions of space-microgravity, radiation, and isolation-provide a natural laboratory for exploring how life responds to and evolves in extreme environments. This seminar will examine key findings from experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and analog environments on Earth, shedding light on molecular, cellular, and systemic adaptations in both microorganisms and human biology.